The Organic Family

A lot of prep work goes into making sure bath time goes smoothly. Even before we check the temperature of the bathwater or put toys in the tub, as parents we are responsible for selecting the products we put on our children's bodies. With an increasing number of natural products coming to market and more people choosing to use them, we decided to put three natural shampoo and body wash products to the test.

Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash by Burt's Bees is the top pick in terms of being friendly to the environment. This is mostly due to the fact that it can be used as a bubble bath in addition to a shampoo and body wash, whereas a separate bottle of bubble bath was required when using Calming Shampoo and Body Wash by California Baby and Shampoo + Body Wash by Honest Company. While all three products have "green" packaging that can be recycled, using just one bottle for three purposes is more environmentally friendly.

Suds and Efficacy

1. Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash by Burt's Bees

2. Calming Shampoo and Body Wash by California Baby

3. Shampoo + Body Wash by Honest Company

Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash by Burt's Bees creates perfect sudsy foam with only a few drops. A little goes a long way. We found that our children looked and smelled very clean after washing with this product.

Calming Shampoo and Body Wash by California Baby was a very close second in terms of getting our children clean. We found that applying it to the hair first helped create foam and suds that could then be used to wash the remainder of the body. But for kids with no hair and/or on days when hair wasn't washed, extra product was needed to achieve a sudsy foam when applied directly to the body.

Shampoo + Body Wash by Honest Company generated better sudsy foam when applied directly to the body than Calming Shampoo and Body Wash by California Baby did. However, it didn't appear to get the kids as clean; our kids still smelled like sunblock after thorough cleansing.

Scent

1. Calming Shampoo and Body Wash by California Baby

2. Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash by Burt's Bees

3. Shampoo + Body Wash by Honest Company

The essential oils in Calming Shampoo and Body Wash by California Baby products smell amazing. A nighttime scent doesn't get more wonderful than French lavender and clary sage. The smell is very subtle and delightful, just what you would expect to unwind before bed.

Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash by Burt's Bees comes in second with a gentle, almost natural, scent that is fresh and comforting.

Shampoo + Body Wash by Honest Company smells like cupcakes baking in the oven or an orange Creamsicle; while the smell is pleasant, it doesn't seem to bring a feeling of calmness to the bedtime routine.

Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash by Burt's Bees is nearly 100% natural, while Shampoo + Body Wash by Honest Company and Calming Shampoo and Body Wash by California Baby contain some organic ingredients. All three of the products are paraben-free, sulfate-free, petrochemical-free, and phthalate-free. Both Shampoo + Body Wash by Honest Company and Calming Shampoo and Body Wash by California Baby have sodium benzoate, but Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash by Burt's Bees does not.

Calming Shampoo and Body Wash by California Baby is the most expensive, and Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash by Burt's Bees is the least expensive. All three products are accessible online. We love that Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash by Burt's Bees and Calming Shampoo and Body Wash by California Baby can be purchased at local retailers. Shampoo + Body Wash by Honest Company, on the other hand, was difficult to find in stores.